After sitting dormant for multiple years, one of Anton de Kom University of Suriname’s (AdeKUS) most beloved long-standing musical traditions is making a comeback. The historic AdeKUS University Choir has officially relaunched its activities, and applications are now open for interested singers looking to join the reborn ensemble.
Unlike many college choirs that restrict membership exclusively to current enrolled students, the revived AdeKUS choir has adopted an inclusive membership policy that welcomes a broad cross-section of the region’s academic community. Alongside current AdeKUS students, faculty members, administrative and technical staff, and university alumni, the choir is also accepting singers from two other leading local educational institutions: the Suriname Polytechnic College and the national Institute for Teacher Training.
To ensure the choir’s relaunch goes smoothly and to lay a solid foundation for long-term success, a dedicated steering committee has been assembled to oversee the revival process. Sheniel Cameron has been appointed to lead the committee as chair, with six additional experienced education and arts community members joining the body: Virginia Asin-Oostburg, Mireille Monsch, Harold Telgt, Valerie Venetiaan, and Bernice Hubbard.
The newly formed committee has two core mandates guiding its work. First, it will oversee all logistics and administrative work related to the choir’s reactivation, from organizing auditions and scheduling rehearsals to planning the ensemble’s first public performances following the relaunch. Second, the committee is tasked with building sustainable operational frameworks to ensure the university choir tradition remains a permanent, active part of cultural life at AdeKUS for years to come, avoiding the gaps in activity that led to the choir’s previous hiatus.